Subject: Re: linux-next: manual merge of the xen tree with the swiotlb-xen tree

From: Stephen Rothwell <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:49:41 +1100

Hi Konrad,

On Mon, 18 Oct 2010 09:55:12 -0400 Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
> Since I seem to have a knack for making mistakes, let me get some clarification
> so that I won't do it again.
> 
> When is it Ok for me to put in the #linux-next, new stable features (so
> reviewed, acked, etc)? a) Is it post rc7? b) Or is it when Linus releases
> the kernel and Linus's merge window opens?

Stuff destined for 2.6.n should be enter linux-next (after being posted,
reviewed and tested) between 2.6.(n-1)-rc1 and about 2 weeks before 2.6.
(n-1) (usually -rc6 or 7).  That way, hopefully we will have most
integration problems sorted out before Linus releases 2.6.(n-1) and the
code can go into Linus' tree during the merge window.  We can then sort
out any bugs etc in Linus's tree during the -rc releases for 2.6.n (at
the same time putting features for 2.6.(n+1) into linux-next.

So the answer is c) pre -rc7 :-)

i.e. all the new features for 2.6.37 should have been in linux-next at
least a week ago ...

In an idea world, the week before the merge window should be spent
settling stuff down ready to go into Linus' tree.  In the real world,
everyone seems to madly shove their new features into linux-next, rebase
their trees against some recent version of Linus' tree or do merges with
his tree (sometimes all three).  A lot of this latter is completely
unnecessary and just means that all the previous testing is thrown away
with the introduction of more code from Linus' tree.

Have a look at the graphs at http://neuling.org/linux-next-size.html .
In the last week, we have had ~930 new commits enter linux-next (that is
over 12% of the total in linux-next).  Since -rc7 came out, that number
is 1580 commits (over 20%). So instead of flattening off (and
stabilising) as we approach the merge window, the rate of change tends to
accelerate ...

/me gets off his soap box :-)

-- 
Cheers,
Stephen Rothwell                    [email-masked]
http://www.canb.auug.org.au/~sfr/